Corporate Counsel or Senior Counsel

Caring for skin means caring for people.

It all started with a pharmacist and a dream almost 140 years ago. Today, Beiersdorf is a global company with iconic brands - Coppertone, Aquaphor, Eucerin and NIVEA - focused on providing innovative, clinically-proven and safe skin and sun care solutions to more than 500 million consumers in over 200 countries - making people feel comfortable in their own skin.

At Beiersdorf, we care beyond skin. We care for people - our employees, our customers, our consumers and our communities - and our planet. We know that diversity of thought, backgrounds, experience and perspective enriches our culture and fosters innovation and ingenuity. We know that responsibly-sourced, sustainable products and packaging make for a more sustainable future. And we know that when your skin feels better, you feel better.

A welcoming workplace that offers personal and professional growth for all individuals.

At Beiersdorf, you'll find:

• A welcoming workplace that fosters diversity, inclusion and belonging where every team member feels valued, respected, and supported
• Nimble teams that enjoy challenging work and the ability to make an impact
• A dynamic community of life-long learners that values acumen, aptitude and the ability to learn as well as hard skills and established expertise
• A purpose-led company that cares about your personal and professional development with the right balance of structure and flexibility to thrive
• A collaborative culture that leads with care, trust, simplicity and courage

Unique benefits that consider the whole person.
We understand that you have a life outside of work, and we support you with unique benefits including:

• Generous and flexible PTO policy
• Summer Friday hours
• Paid Parental Leave
• Comprehensive Wellness and Benefits program
• Cash Balance Plan (similar to a pension)
• 401k match
• Growing number of Employee Resource Groups or affinity groups - to foster meaningful connections and belonging with other colleagues
• Dynamic work model - a hybrid model of at least 3 days in-office collaboration

OVERVIEW:

We are looking for a Corporate Counsel or Senior Corporate Counsel based in Stamford, Connecticut office to lead various legal and compliance initiatives in the United States.

Reporting to the Head of Legal Affairs for North America, this crucial role will partner with various stakeholders across the Beiersdorf business to protect and grow the brand.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Contracts

• Manage legal topics arising from or related to supply chain, logistics, production, quality inquiries, R&D/Clinical topics, product innovations and company operations
• Provide legal insight and support to international stakeholders/project managers on US contract negotiations and post contract execution topics, especially with manufacturing matters
• Coordinate with and advise cross functional teams on legal considerations and potential risks within supply chain or R&D projects that are steered globally or locally
• Advise and collaborate with executives, managers, and other personnel to identify and resolve business and legal issues and provide ongoing counsel, advice, and support
• Draft and negotiate a high volume of complex contracts including but not limited to supply and manufacturing, logistics, custom brokers/power of attorneys, real estate, IT/software license, R&D, quality, finance, human resources, etc.
• Draft contract templates and other legal documents including but not limited to global group standards, processes, and global framework and intercompany agreements
• Coordinate as necessary with corporate, regional, and global legal colleagues on supply chain and contract matters, and ensure local contracts align with global frameworks agreements
• Manage the contract library and any applicable contract databases, including uploading and tracking of documents, and backend support of the contract databases
• Manage and Maintain Contract Management System (CLM) including templates, stakeholder inquiries, system enhancements, access, and licenses
• Ensure the CLM system is operating correctly, is housing the required documentation, and is meeting company requirements

Operational Responsibilities

• Be the main legal contact and business partner to all operational teams and functions
• Work closely with operational partners to ensure understanding of the business in order to provide legal advice or assist with escalating/proactively addressing topics.
• Support supply chain legal topics on all phases of the planning, production, importation, transportation, scrapping and the customer distribution cycle
• Work closely with quality and respond to inquiries on stability, storage, and raw material topics.
• Coordinate and manage responses to Retailer inquiries and requests for COAs or other quality/R&D documentation
• Support R&D innovation and project initiatives as needed
• Manage ways of collaborating with international colleagues who may be unfamiliar with US contractual requirements or internal policies for the US.
• Create PowerPoint presentations and present to management on legal topics as needed.
• Support Mergers and Acquisitions and post merger integrations on topics such as contracts and data transfers.
• Stay informed and up to date on legal developments impacting the industry.

Compliance and Legal Department Management Responsibilities

• Manage company compliance program
• Understand Global compliance program, Local compliance program and localize policies/materials
• Closely collaborate with Beiersdorf HQ's legal & compliance teams on process and compliance matters and communications
• Train colleagues on legal and company policies when necessary, and track and report such compliance trainings
• Manage compliance reporting (tracking numbers/ dates/ system entries)
• Keep up to date and inform the key stakeholders on compliance laws, regulations, case rulings, and changes that impact the business/ industry
• Manage department SOPs and other operational documents with cross functional departments as needed. Maintain corporate housekeeping for Beiersdorf including but not limited to board consents, resolutions, minutes, and other corporate entity maintenance matters with HQ corporate legal colleagues and other affiliates
• Manage filing and submission of such corporate records both internally and externally as needed
• Assist with audits and other risk management initiatives
• Liaise with external lawyers and manage legal budget in collaboration with Finance department
• Track legal costs, invoices, purchase orders etc. for dept
• Assist with other matters and provide coverage for North America Legal department as needed
• Supervise law clerks, temporary staff, interns, and other staff as needed
• Manage externship recruiting and partnership with local law schools and supervise interns and law clerks

QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctorate of Jurisprudence (J.D.) from an accredited law school/university required
• A member, in good standing of a U.S. State Bar with the ability to practice law in Connecticut or eligible for the Connecticut In-House Counsel Bar
• 6-10 years of experience as Legal Counsel in a similar position in the legal department of an international corporation or in an international business law firm
• Specialized knowledge of supply chain operations, R&D & Quality and other technical matters.
• Demonstrated ability to approach issues with both C-suite executives and general counsel mindset, considering business priorities in providing legal recommendations and solutions, as well as the ability to spot legal issues across disciplines and facilitate conversations with the right subject matter experts to ensure the delivery of holistic, actionable legal counsel to stakeholders
• Experience with drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex contracts
• Experience with advertising laws/regulations or intellectual property preferred a plus
• Knowledge and experience of North American legal system, rules and regulations
• Consumer products or in-house counsel experience strongly preferred
• Experience in Mergers and Acquisitions and post merger integrations a plus
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Strong, clear, concise communication skills that can adapt based on the audience; comfort in communicating to internal clients at all levels of the organization
• Positive team member and active contributor in a team environment
• Collaborative, pro-active, solution-oriented mindset
• Strong negotiation and facilitation skills
• Able to perform administrative tasks as needed
• Excellent time management skills to handle multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong attention to detail, responsive and well organized
• Must be pro-active and have creative problem solving skills
• The ability to travel domestically and internationally (